Time Well Spent

While thinking back on my experience and all that I have gain from taking this course, I am complete amazed at all the knowledge I have received. Three things that I feel I have learned from this course would be how to identify a goal and provide in depth details for how to accomplish that goal. Another would be how important it is to have good leaders in your program in order to accomplish shared goals. Lastly I learned how to be a leader myself. The course has challenge me the most requiring to me to think outside the box and provide those necessary detail that can make a program successful. One long term goal I have is to continue to accept challenge rather than avoid them. I thank you Dr. E for your patience throughout this course. You have proven to be a professor that want to see her student succeed. I greatly appreciate all that you have done for every student that has and will take your course.

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Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally​​​​​​1

Alysia Spencer

Walden University

EDUC 6990 CAPSTONE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD FIELD

​This course has increased my interest in Early Childhood literacy.  I am now interested in teaching on a larger scope in hopes of decreasing the illiteracy rate and increasing the percentage of college graduates. Education starts with our youth, it is important that we start teaching the basic fundamentals such as reading and writing in early childhood centers and elementary schools. Literacy is an issue that impacts nations globally. It is also an issue that should be addressed globally instead of being ignored when it comes to the minority. My educational experience has been limited to only teaching in the Atlanta Metro area. I have yet to educate children internationally. So far, my teaching background has been in a classroom setting at various early childhood centers and elementary schools in Atlanta. When I began a career in early childhood education, I assumed traveling was not part of my job description. Howeversince taking this class, I have found a few organizations I would love to work with to improve literacy internationally. One organization is the World Literacy Foundation (WLF). This particular organization was founded after CEO Andrew Kay discovered the high illiteracy rates in a United Nations article (Kay By 2003). Kay founded the World Literacy Foundation to transport and distribute books to Africa. Kay wanted to create an online resource of eBooks available in different languages. The World Literacy Foundation also provides tutoring services and multiple literacy resources to students (Kay, n.d.).  The fastest way to be involved in the initiatives of the World Literacy Foundation is by organizing my own pop up library and by hosting local book drives. I am also to work remotely as a Blog writer for the WLF that is accessible worldwide. 

​An interesting point I discovered in developing countries is that only twenty- five percent of young people can actually read. This lack of basic fundamentals has caused a systematic legacy of illiterate generations (Provost, 2014). I am deeply disturbed by that because low or no literacy has detrimental effects on the quality of life. An organization that shares the sentiment in regards to literacy and its effect on quality is Save the Children. This global organization created a program called the Literacy Boost which aims to ensure all children are equipped with the ability to read, write, and perform basic mathematics (“Children’s”, n.d.). Similar to my COP, the Literacy Boost program has realized that students do not always learn the skills they should in the classroom. Because students are not learning as expected, Save the Children has created a supplemental program to improve literacy development. The program involves the community in the process by providing libraries, literacy resources and supplies, and assesses reading skills (“Children’s”, n.d.). The program services over thirty countries throughout the world. There are several ways to be involved with Save the Children. One way is to create an online account with Save the Children which will allow me to log on and read to my children. This approach will give children access to books around the world allowing to broaden reading skills. A more hands on approach to join Save the Children is to become a skilled volunteer. As a skilled volunteer, I am able to work between ten and forty hours a week in selected states within the USA.Although the positions are not paid opportunities, I will allow to build my professional knowledge base and professional relationships in this field of work. 

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References

Children's Literacy Programs. Retrieved from https://www.savethechildren.org/us/what-we-do/global-programs/education/literacy-boost

Kay , A. G. World Literacy Foundation Home . Retrieved from https://worldliteracyfoundation.org/

Provost, C. (2014, January 29). One in four young people in developing countries unable to read, says UN. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jan/29/illiteracy-education-young-people-developing-countries

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

           

Alysia Spencer

Walden University

EDUC 6990 CAPSTONE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD FIELD

One federal organization I researched was the U.S. Department of Education. Their Innovative Approaches to Literacy Program (IAL) is one I was drawn to because of their goal to offer literacy programs to high need communities. Within my challenge, I intend on offering some similar resources to families at Flat Shoals Elementary. Flat Shoals Elementary is a school that has a high population of students from low socioeconomic areas. The IAL also seeks to replace learning material with up-to date resources for communities that would not have access otherwise (Graham, 2018). Within my community of practice,  my intention is not to replace the current materials; my intention is to educate parents on how to use them with their child. The IAL also desires to prepare students to compete not just locally within the U.S., but also globally. There is a job opportunity available to work as a Human Resources Specialist. In order to qualify for the position, you must be either a former or present federal employee.

            ProLiteracy is a non- profit organization that advocates for literacy to break the poverty cycle from parent to child. My community of practice shares the desire to offer the home environment conducive for learning. ProLiteracy determined approximately thirty- six million Americans have difficulty with basic reading and writing (“What”, n.d.). Considering that I know home literacy impacts students before they ever reach elementary school, I realized my challenge would also be to educate parents. Although most of my students' parents can read and write sufficiently, some basic skills may be the difference in how successful the student is in the future. Pro Literacy also provides customized resources that are innovative and fun for students of all ages, including adults. With ProLiteracy, you can apply to be an advocate for adult literacy that urges politicians and officials make steps of action to address the deficit. There are not any major requirements to become an advocate other than applying.

            For hesitant or uncomfortable early readers, motivation to read or even see value in it may be a discouraging obstacle for some students. My community of practice will support students, teachers, and families. It will also use strategies to make reading fun for students who have difficulty reading. Books for Kids organizes literacy opportunities with young children under the age of five. The literacy events Books for Kids facilitates include fun reading activities that encourage engagement from the young listeners. Books for Kids also host a Story Time Program which includes parents/ guardians in the activities engaging with early learners (“Books”, n.d.). The Story Time would be an excellent resource to share with my community of practice. Story Time uses puppet shows, arts and crafts, and group reading activities that engage students that could be helpful for the teachers included in my community of practice. Books for Kids has an overall mission that addresses low income students that are preschool aged (“Books”, n.d.). Although there are not any job opportunities listed, Books for Kids does take donations to assist in their mission.

Resources

Books For Kids » Literacy Programs. (n.d.). Retrieved July 25, 2019, from https://www.booksforkids.org/programs/literacy-programs/

Graham, M. (2018, August 07). Innovative Approaches to Literacy. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovapproaches-literacy/index.html

What We Do. (n.d.). Retrieved July 25, 2019, from https://proliteracy.org/What-We-Do/Overview

Best wishes

As we draw near the end of the course I began to reflect on how supportive my colleagues have been with the encouraging words and thoughtful insight I feel honored to be connected to intellectual individuals. My colleagues have forced me to think and dig deeper into situations that I might have not seen the way they did. Jennifer Speer, I hope you do not mind me calling you out) has provided me with several supportive comments from my blogs to my discussion questions. Thank you Jennifer  for your strong insight and positive words.

While being supported I certainly did my part to be supportive to my colleagues. I have supported my colleagues by reflecting on their insight and providing them with positive feedback. I have supported my colleagues by allowing them to feel comfortable agreeing or disagreeing with my thoughts as well as  being supported. I certainly did my part to be supportive to my colleagues. I have supported my colleagues by reflecting on their insight and providing them with positive feedback. I have supported my colleagues by allowing them to feel comfortable agreeing or disagreeing with my thoughts and feelings. 

As we continue our matriculation through our graduate studies I wish my colleagues the best in the future endeavors. My wish for my colleagues is that they apply all that they have learned in this course for the betterment of children in the community

Adjournment

My sophomore year of college I began the process of pledging Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority inc. There were six young ladies that completing the tedious process with me. All six woman came from different walks of life, however we developed a bond. We were more like sisters, we all treated each other as if we had the same parents.
Senior year came so fast and I was the only graduating. We had several events to celebrate my departure. Graduation day had arrived and although I was excited about me future the bitter sweetie feel arose as I hug my "sisters" goodbye. 

I do not believe I will take my adjournment from my group of colleagues I have formed while working on your master's degree in this program very hard. Although I have developed a relations with my colleague I have come to realize I develop closer bonds with people I communicate with face to face. 

Adjournment is an essential stage to teamwork because it allows you a chance to leave on a good note. People will remember how you left. Adjournment allows closure.

Communication/conflict

My roommate and I moved in to a luxurious apartment in buckhead. A week prior to the move I realize that my new roommate had an in enormous amount of items she would be bringing with her. I spoke to my future roommate (which by the way her name is Brittney) about having to downsize. Considering she had been living on her own for the last five years and had accumulated a great amount of household items. I spoke with Brittney in particular about a very large 3 piece entertainment system which would fit in the living room however what caused the living room to look cluttered. I made Brittney aware of my feelings towards clutter. Brittany explained how we were going to have to make it work because she would not be willing to throw it away nor put the entertainment system in storage. The day of the move finally arrived in the entertainment system was in the living room after viewing how cluttered  it made the apartment feel,I began to get upset. Brittney seeing my frustration asked me if there was something that we could do so that we both were happy. I was too upset to think, it looks cluttered in the living room and you don't want to put it in storage. I saw no other way we both would be happy..While vent to a friend he suggested that we break the system down into 3 parts, one part stayed in the living room and we both took a part and used it as our television stand in our rooms. Great idea I thought strategy I could have used would have been compromise from the beginning however I didn't not see how it could work in both of our favor.


Yesterday I wanted to take my male friend out to dinner. We went to a fancy restaurant downtown and had a lovely meal. Once the check came he reached and grab I insisted that he give me the check so that I may pay. He insisted in the opposite direction. I explained to him that I wanted to take him out which meant that I should pay. He explained to me that he only agree just to get me to go but he knew he would still pay. After about 5 minutes of debate on who would pay the tab, I gave in an allowed him to pay for our dinner. My male friend feels as if a man should pay for the woman and I hesitantly allowed him. We would could have better communicated our feeling prior to the dinner so that neither one of us is feel awkward about paying or not paying. To my readers do you believe that since I offered to take him out should he have allowed me to pay for the meal?

How I evaluated myself and how others evaluated me

When I looked at how I evaluated myself verses how my coworker evaluated me I saw many similarities as well as differences. For example In the area of Communication Anxiety Inventory I reported that I feel a bit uneasy in some communication situations and somewhat more confident in others contexts, While my friend reported that I am a confident communicator and communication is not something that I worry about. Then when I moved on to verbal aggressiveness scale  we both reported  that I maintain a good balance between respect and consideration for others' viewpoints, and the ability to argue fairly by attacking the facts of a position rather than the person holding that position. When it can to listening skills it was reported t that my day is tightly schedules and I carefully allocate my time for listening. I prefer that others respect my time limitations, and that I can appear efficient but impatient. One thing that surprised me the most was that my friends and colleague  felt as if I am a confident speaker, I would not call myself a confident speak however I try to take my time and communicate effectively. Insight I gained this week about communication is that is that I am very timed-oriented which sometimes can come off as being impatient I learned that I must not appear to be impatient and openly listen to the message that is trying to be given to me. 

Cultural diversity

• Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures?                    I find myself communicating differently often with people from different groups and culture. I am familiar and comfortable communicating with people within my culture and group. However when I am communicating with people from different groups and culture, I try to communicate in a way that they would find respectful and appropriate

If yes, in what ways do you communicate differently? There are several ways I which in communicate differently for one I ask several questions to be clear. To be in the earl childhood field I interact with several families and people from different cultures. I make great strides to make sure I understand the messages that are being communicated to be. I often try to be mindful of behavior constraints. I am aware that different culture have different rule regarding proper behavior when communicating. Lastly, i display emotions differently to ensure that I do not offend the person I am communicating with. 

 
Based on what you have learned this week, share at least three strategies you could use to help you communicate more effectively with the people or groups you have identified.

• Ask questions
• Do research
• Have patience

Communitcation (The office)

(Volume turned off)

• What do you think the characters' relationships are based on the ways in which they are communicating?

The characters seem to have a very professional relationship. The boss seems very active in communicating with his staff and being present to lean a helping hand. With no volume I noticed the boss fired his secretary and laughed after she left the room. I found that to inappropriate and somewhat insensitive. The office  was very cluttered and unorganized. Co-worker to co-worker relationship seemed to be very relaxed some co-workers very having a private meeting whispering and laughing. Two co-workers I noticed were flirting with each other.  

• What are they feeling and expressing based on the nonverbal behavior you are observing?

The boss seems to enjoy being at work, I noticed him laughing several times throughout the day. I observed on several occasions employees seemed very uneasy when conversing with their boss. (O'Hiar 2015) states that nonverbal communication encompasses a variety of actions, such as gestures, tone of voice, and eye behavior, as well as aspects of physical appearance.

(Volume turned on)

• What assumptions did you make about the characters and plot based on the ways in which you interpreted the communication you observed?

Once I was able to view the show with the volume on it was clear I made assumptions regarding the characters. The boss clearly does not take his job very serious. He makes inappropriate jokes, and allows his employees to act inappropriate as well.

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• Would your assumptions have been more correct if you had been watching a show you know well?

Yes, I do believe my assumptions would have been more correct if I had been watching a show I was familiar with. When watching a show I am familiar with I can make assumptions based on the characters personality regardless of hearing of whether the volume was on or not.




This experience has been one to remember. I am amazed at all you can assume based on nonverbal behavior. I had assume so much while watching this show that I became excited once it was time for me to watch it with the volume on. My "aha" moment was when I was watching The Office with the volume on. I realized that although I was looking at the show at first, and could figure out some of what was going on, I did not get the full picture because I could not hear what was being said. The assignment resonates with me because being in the education field things can often look one way and be another. Being a child advocate it is my job to seek the whole truth and evaluate all situations from more than one point of view.


O'Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2015).Real communication (3rd. ed).New York: Bedford/St. Martin's. 

Communication Behavior

Oprah has always been at admirable person to me. Coming from such a rough background Oprah has always exhibited strong leadership skills. She did not let the hardships hinder her but yet they motivated her to push through and become the successful woman she is today. I definitely would like to model some of my communication behaviors after Oprah. Oprah communication skills has allowed her to make a living for herself. Her authenticiity as always striked me as something that myself and others can relate to. Growing up very poor, Oprah now is one of the wealthiest women in the United states. Oprah is not only known for her great communication skills but also for her charitable work. Being a great advocate for children not only in her own country; Oprah donated and funded schools in Africa for underprivileged children. These are just a few reasons why I  would choose Oprah as my model for my own communication behavior.

Cultural Diversity

Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures?

Yes, I do find myself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures I am more comfortable communicating with my family and friends where I used slang and speak in a more relaxed casual tone. When I am communicating with different groups and cultures I speak in a more professional tone and try to be aware of the cultural differences so that I do not offend anyone.

 

Based on what I have learned this week three strategies I could use to help me communicate more effectively with people from different groups and culture would be to try to withhold judgment long enough to gain a deeper understanding than first impressions allows, by doing this it allows me a chance to understand what is actually expected of me as well the what I am expected to offer my students and their families. Next applying appropriate emotions when communicating try to provide a welcoming and inviting pose being sensitive to the issues and needs of the community. Lastly recognizing that unwritten cultural rules of nonverbal communication takes time and patience.

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2010). 50 strategies for communicating and working with diverse families. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

• "Understanding and Appreciating Cultural Differences" (pp. 36–38)

Communication! (Friend's television show)

(Sound turned off)

What do you think the characters' relationships are based on the ways in which they are communicating?


Having the sound turned if I thought the characters' relationships were friendly in different scene within the show I saw them smiling, laughing and comforting one of the characters who I assume was going through a break up.




What are they feeling and expressing based on the nonverbal behavior you are observing?

Based on the nonverbal behavior I observed one character seemed sad and/ or depressed, while the other characters seemed concerned and tried to comfort the sad character. 






(Sound turned on)


What do you think the characters' relationships are based on the ways in which they are communicating?


The characters' relationship based on how they are communicating I think have been friends for quite some time. The characters are comfortable with each and a lot of time together. One character is going through a break up several characters make light of the situation through sarcasm and jokes. 


What are they feeling and expressing based on the nonverbal behavior you are observing?


Based my observation the feelings and expression of the character show that the cast is familiar with one another they do not mind expressing their emotions to one another.

Professional Hopes and Goals

When I think about working with children and families who come from diverse background my hope is that they understand that everyone will not respect and understand their culture and the way they do things at home. However; my hope is that they continue to push forward with their careers and education and not allow barriers to hinder their success.

As I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds the goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity and social justice is that we as professionals do our part to ensure that every child regardless of their ethnic background receive an adequate education. 

I want to thank my colleagues for all their input and insight throughout this course. I have greatly learned a lot from our professor and my colleagues. Learning about diversity, equity, and social justice has allowed me to look at myself as a professional and how I can improve the lives of all my students by addressing bias behavior, making my students culturally responsive, and helping them develop a level of tolerance for other people's differences.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

My families' Country: Mexico


5 way in which I would prepare to be  culturally responsive to this family:

• I would first brush up on my Spanish ensure that I know the fundamental of Spanish.
• Learn the families dynamics.
• Search way to integrate their cultural tradition into the classroom curriculum.
• Add classroom visuals reflecting their racial and ethnic diversity of the classroom.
• Prepare my other students

A brief statement describing in what ways you hope that these preparations will benefit both you and the family:

My hope is that the preparations I have made will benefit myself as well as the family would be to making learning fun. My hope it to get the family excited about the child learning because they feel included. I hope that my preparations help me become a teacher , and makes it easier to teach someone of a different culture than my own.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

When I was a little girl I remember my grandmother telling me the story of Emmet Till, a young African American boy, who was murdered for flirting with a white woman. For my young mind the story bought up so many questions. Why did he have to die for flirting with a white woman? What is wrong with him liking white woman? What happen to the people that killed him? I remember my grandmother taking her time to explain to me how life was years ago. After several more questions I soon learned that years before I was born things were different, African Americans were not afford the privileges that whites had. The murderers of Emmet Till were acquitted because they were white.

After hearing the story of Emmet Till I felt powerless, and angry, how could people simply dislike you because of the color of your skin? I felt as if the government failed to protect and seek justice for Emmet and his family. I remember feeling sad and scared, that if I acted in a way that was not suitable to “White America” I could be next. The world would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity.  

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week I was required to attend a week long training for my job while, there a middle aged white woman ran her fingers through my hair and said "oh wow that's all your hair" the context of this microaggression was racial, I believe that the woman was expecting my hair not to be real, although she did not exactly say that, however she was surprised to find out that an African American was capable of having long hair without it being extensions. I felt comfortable about how to respond to this woman I had only met two days prior, so I simply said yes and continued my day. The ways in which this experience this week affected my perception of the effects of stereotypes on people, is that people still believe in to them without considering that not all people are the same regardless of there background or culture.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

For this blog assignment for this week we are required to interview three people (one whom as to be of a different culture, ethnicity, or background) and ask them what's their definition of culture and diversity these are the responses I received.

Friend:I'd say culture is the way of life for a particular group and how that lifestyle shapes them.. environment, traditions.. diversity is what makes something different than the next.. diversity kinda makes culture.

Sibling:Definition of culture a person environment what shapes them . Diversity : different backgrounds for  example this neighborhood is diverse meaning different types of people  from different ethnicities, races, and backgrounds live here.

Some one of a different race: my definition of culture means traditions passed along from generation to generation that are still practiced today, along with how you environment effects these traditions. How I would define diversity is by identifying someone culture and determining the differences.

The aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course that are included in the answers I received is that diversity can be defined in many different way no one person has the same definition. The aspect I would omit is the stereotypes when it comes to culture that based on how someone looks you assume what culture they belong to. For example if I was to see an Indian person I can assume she is buddhist or Hindu. When think about other people's definition of culture and diversity it has influenced my thinking because it allows me to look deeper in to what the world believes to be culture and how I would be define culture or diversity.

My Family Culture

My Family Culture

If I were among surviving citizen and the emergency government decided it will best serve me to evacuate to another country whose culture was completely different from my own. The three items I would take to represent my culture would be a bible for religious purposes, a recipe book with recipes of soul food dishes, and my family scrap book with pictures and captions.  If there were questions as to what these articles mean to me I would be open and honest about them and allow for question, how I would explain the importance of the bible would be to explain Christianity and how the bible relates to it, the recipe book is important to me because I want to reserve African- American cuisine, and having my family scrap would help me explain my culture and how my life was before having to move. If upon arrival I was told could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items I brought with me I would be completely sadden. I would feel as if my families’ culture would be soon forgotten. Insight I gained about myself as a result of this exercise is that reserving my culture is very important to me, and it helps support my self-identity.